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A most endearing couple, married for 55 years, were hoping for a low-maintenance, but colourful, landscaping design to rejuvenate the overall look of their home.

Only a few changes are required on this urban semidetached facade.

Adding black shutters and refinishing the front door in a black semi-gloss exterior acrylic paint would give the home a classic feel and add contrast.

For a more suitable scale, two bold black light fixtures could replace the shy ones.

To the left of the front door, a large semicircle flower container decorated with cascading annuals would replace the address plaque. New silver numbers can be installed on the right in a vertical position.

The vertical gutter pipe in between the two houses needs to be camouflaged. I propose a 10-to 12-foot high trellis made of approximately 1.25'' by 1.25'' of treated wood posts stained white and secured on the wall. This psychological divider will host a handsome climbing Hydrangea with its dark shiny leaves and its generous clusters of white flowers in June and July.

To keep the rain drainage away from the house, perforated and flexible tubing should be connected to the existing wall pipe and buried under the lawn in the direction of the street.

In the past, a mature tree was cut and the city offered to plant a new maple. The owners are concerned with the fact that this potentially huge tree will be too big for the 21-foot-wide lot. If the city and the neighbour agree, this Acer could be shared by the two families by placing it directly on the property line. If this is not an option, plant it as close to the street as the city allows.

The see-through cedars near the porch are too high and look weak. They also hide the crisp white ramp. Trimming them shorter would only emphasize empty spaces on top. The one on the far right of the house could stay but should be kept shorter so it doesn't overlap the window seal.

The next operation is more tedious and you may need a little help but once it's done well, the results will be worth it. Two rectangular flower beds can be created by removing the lawn. One would be the width of whole porch area. The other goes from the side of the porch to the right end of the house. To limit the work in the future, put in a permanent border around the beds, otherwise the edges will need regular reshaping to keep the grass from growing inside.

A simple but interesting landscaping design can be achieved by choosing coloured or variegated leafs in shrubs and placing them one against another for contrast. Mixing these with textured conifers and flowering perennials to create a hedge on one side of the driveway will add a remarkable effect.

The Geranium row will provide a show of colour with the pink blooms all through summer as well as in autumn, with the transformation of its leaf colour from a bright green to a flashing burgundy.

Sedum could be transplanted in a triangular formation below the stair ramp.

Most homes can use a little help when it comes to warming up their curb appeal. If you'd like some inexpensive ideas on how to improve the appearance of your home, send a clear photo of your house with your commentary to: Suzanne Rowe, Designer, suro@bell.net. Because of the volume of email she receives, it is not possible for her to individually reply to each correspondent.

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